Women’s Business Enterprise National Council

Certification Frequently Asked Questions

The WBENC certification for women-owned businesses is one of the most widely recognized and respected certifications in the nation. Accepted by hundreds of corporations within the country and a number of federal, state, and local government agencies, WBENC certification is an important marketing tool for expanding a company's visibility among decision makers in corporate supply chain diversity and procurement organizations.

WBENC is also an approved Third Party Certifier for the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contracting Program.

A business entity submits an application, along with the necessary supporting documentation, notarized sworn affidavit and non-refundable processing fee.

Each RPO has a trained Certification Review Committee that meets on a monthly basis. Once the applicant's file is complete (meaning all documentation pertinent to the business and legal structure has been received), the application packet is reviewed by the Certification Review Committee.

An on-site visit is conducted at a pre-determined time with the majority woman business owner.

At a subsequent Certification Review Committee meeting, following the site visit, a final determination is made regarding the applicant's eligibility.

If certification is granted, the company's owner and assigned contact will receive an automated-e-mail notification telling them that they have been certified and may now access their certificate online.

No. Once documents have been received, the fee is non-refundable. The "non-refundable policy" applies to applications that are accepted and/or denied, as well as applications that were not completed or withdrawn prior to final determination.

All submitted documents are treated with the utmost confidentiality. In addition, all files are kept under lock and key. Only RPO staff members have access to these files.

During the Certification Review Committee meetings, the file is reviewed by the Committee. Any Committee members in a competitive industry do not have access to the file, nor are they present during any discussion of your application.

Additionally, staff and Committee members sign Confidentiality Disclosure statements agreeing to keep all information confidential and proprietary with the understanding that any disclosure could cause harm to the applicant.

The RPOs take your privacy and the confidentiality of your information very seriously.